Tips on bathing your new baby!!

Posted by admin on June 4, 2014 in Blog | Comments Off on Tips on bathing your new baby!!

Bathing your newborn baby can initially be a daunting task and can take time for both you and your baby to get used to.

Make sure your bathroom is warm as babies find it harder than adults to regulate their own body temperature and can loose body heat quickly. Bathing your newborn baby is best at a time they feel content, not when they are hungry or straight after a feed, or when they are tired. Bathing your baby can help promote peaceful sleep and coupled with baby massage can help things like colic too. Classes for learning baby massage are held in most communities. Bathing babies at a young age, although they may not like it at first can help them get used to water and build water confidence.

You can make things easier by getting everything to you need to hand first. You will need a bath or bowl of warm water (test the heat with your elbow or a safety bath plug), also towels, cotton wool, a gentle baby soap, a soft baby towel and the nappy and clothes for afterwards. Bathing your baby every day can dry out their delicate skin, however washing their face, hands and bottom every day is best, known as top and tailing.

You should undress your baby, then lower them gently into the bath, having tested the water temperature first, then using one of your hands to support their head and shoulders you could begin their bath time by washing their face. Use cotton wool or a soft baby sponge to gently wipe baby’s eyes, you should use a fresh piece of cotton wool for each eye to prevent infection. You can then wash their face, neck, body and hands. Lastly of all you should wash your baby’s nappy area with warm water and clean cotton wool.

When bath time is over, cuddle your baby in a warm towel and pat them dry carefully. Ensure they are dry between skin folds to prevent rash and soreness, then put on a clean nappy.

You may find newborns take a while to get used to having a bath. Bath time will get increasingly longer as they become accustomed to water and within no time most babies love to kick and splash about in the bath. You should never leave a baby unattended in the bath. Singing and talking to your baby, especially in the first days whilst they are getting used to it will help relax and soothe them during bath time.

With these tips and reading useful new mum guides on bathing your baby, you will both soon relax and hopefully learn to love having a bath.